So you want to be a medical science liaison?

As more and more PhDs are being pumped out, funding diminishes, and it becomes harder (or less desirable?) to obtain faculty positions, many scientists are making the switch to industry to pursue a career as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL).

We recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Samuel Dyer, who has over 12 years of experience as a Medical Affairs professional and is the Chairman of the Board of the Medical Science Liaison Society. Below is an account of the interview.

RateMyPI.com: What exactly is a MSL?

Dr. Dyer: MSLs (also known as Medical Liaisons, Medical Managers, Regional Scientific Managers, Clinical Liaisons, and Scientific Affairs Managers) are members of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, Clinical Research Organization (CRO) and other health-care industries that have advanced scientific training and academic credentials generally consisting of a doctorate degree (Ph.D., PharmD., M.D.) in the life sciences.MSLs help to ensure that products are utilized effectively, serve as scientific peers and resources within the medical community, and are scientific experts to internal colleagues at companies. However, the primary purpose of the MSL role is to establish and maintain peer-peer relationships with leading physicians, referred to as Key Opinion Leaders (KOL’s), at major academic institutions and clinics.

RateMyPI.com: In your opinion, what is the most rewarding aspect of being a MSL?

Dr. Dyer: Being at the forefront in the latest in clinical medicine and being able to be a part of something that can actually improve patients lives.

RateMyPI.com: Do you have any advice for young researchers interested in becoming a MSL?

Dr. Dyer: I always advise those looking to break into the MSL role to apply to only those roles in which match your scientific expertise and where you can position yourself as an expert.For example, if you focused on a specific area within Oncology during your Ph.D. DO NOT apply to roles that are within CNS.In other words focus on those roles that highlight and match your experience with the needs of the role.Applying to roles that are not within your Therapeutic Area of expertise or that you have no experience in that particular disease is a complete waste of time and I can almost guarantee your CV will not be reviewed.

RateMyPI.com: What do you foresee as the biggest challenges facing MSLs in the next 5-10 years?

Dr. Dyer: There are numerous global regulatory changes that will be implemented over the next several years including the Sunshine Act here in the U.S. that will have an impact on the MSL role and the pharmaceutical industry in more general.I also believe that as the role continues to grow, how the MSL is utilized and how to measure the ROI (Return on Investment) will be an ongoing challenge.

Dr. Dyer: The MSL Society is a Non-Profit organization exclusively dedicated to serving as this voice and advancing the global MSL career!The MSL Society provides resources for those interested in the MSL role, as well as, professional growth and development opportunities for current MSL Managers and individual MSLs.Some features of the MSL Society are live conferences featuring prominent speakers where members can interact and share ideas, training for experienced MSLs and candidates who want to break into the role, knowledge-sharing, educational materials, networking opportunities, and career services.

Dr. Dyer: One of the ways to break into the MSL role is to be part of the MSL community. Joining the MSL Society will enable you to interact with, communicate with, and network with MSLs and be part of their professional community without actually being an MSL yet. The society will also provide numerous very valuable resources to understanding the MSL role and how to speak the language of the role during interviews. It will provide a way, during your job search, to be on the inside, rather than being on the outside looking in and be able to position yourself as an expert even when you don’t have MSL experience. This is the essential way to address the lack of MSL experience obstacle.

About Erin Hascup

Erin graduated with her B.S. in Biochemistry from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2001 and went on to conduct research at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Erin returned to school and obtained a PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the University of Kentucky in 2007. She completed postdocs at the Karolinska Institute and McGill University. Erin currently works at Southern Illinois School of Medicine and is co-founder of RateMyPI.com. Follow Erin on Twitter @RuthiePhD.

Hi Kelly,
Thanks for the feedback on the article. Yes, we only offer 2 levels of membership 1) Professional and 2) Student. The student membership is only open to those currently enrolled in full time programs such as PharmD. or Ph.D. programs and not intended for post-docs. As a result the appropriate level for those in a Post Doc like yourself would be the professional level. In addition, the professional level includes a full CV review and this is not offered with a student membership. If you have any further questions or I can help-please let me know and feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or contact me through the MSL Society website (www.themsls.org/contact-us)

Interesting article. I went to the website, but membership is only for students or for those who are already an MSL. What if you are a post doc, like myself, and considering MSL as a potential career opportunity?